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Is Egypt expensive? How much does a trip to Egypt cost? These are questions many people asked me when I was travelling through the country and after I spent two wonderful weeks here, I can share a complete budget breakdown of my Egypt Itinerary.
I had many amazing adventures, discovered a lot about the history and culture of the ancient Egyptians and I was able to tick off some awesome bucket list experiences such as a hot air balloon ride and admiring the Great Pyramids of Giza.
However, all these adventures have a price and in this article, I will share with you all the expenses I made during my 2 weeks in Egypt divided into 5 categories and the average daily cost.
So whether you plan to stay 7 days in Egypt or even a month, this budget breakdown can help you to calculate the budget you need for your trip to Egypt.
READ ALSO: The perfect 2 weeks in Egypt itinerary
What is not included in this budget for Egypt
The following costs are not calculated in this cost breakdown as some costs are depending on your preferences or situation. The cost for flights depends on where you will travel from but the average price to fly to Cairo is between € 300 – 600 for return flights from most European countries.
From other continents, it might be even more expensive (or cheaper if you are lucky).
As I was travelling for several months in the Middle East, I found a one-way ticket from Istanbul to Cairo for only €110 per person. However, you NEED an outbound ticket, so I bought another ticket from Cairo to Bali for €290 per person.
Nevertheless, the cost of these expenses can be helpful to give you an indication of when you want to buy comparable flights, the same equipment, or insurance, so I will share them with you here.
- International flights: I bought a one-way ticket from Istanbul to Cairo for €110 per person with Pegasus Air and another flight from Cairo to Bali with Etihad for €290 per person.
- Travel insurance – InsuredNomads
- Purchase of suitcase and backpack: For this trip, I used an Eastpack Tranverz and paid €180 for that one. My Camera bag is the Wandrd and costs about €227 (read at the end of this article what’s in my camera bag)
Tips to save money on your trip
- To get cash from an ATM or wherever I could, I paid with my WISE card as this card has the lowest transaction fees and the best currency rates.
- Buy drinks in local shops before entering temples as it is more expensive inside the sites.
- Use Uber in Cairo to get around as it is much cheaper than taxis and it saves you the headache of bargaining the price.
- Book flights in advance. I used Skyscanner to search for all my flights. Booking last-minute flights can cost you a lot more.
- Bargaining is normal and you could easily get 50-70% of their actual price. I bought a scarf for US$ 5 instead of US$ 20
- Book hotels with views of the Pyramids in advance. These rooms are popular and booked out very fast. New Pyramids Eyes has very nice views and affordable prices.
Accommodations in Egypt
The budget for accommodation in Egypt comes to € 696 for 14 nights, which is an average of € 49 per night. I stayed in an all-inclusive resort in Hurghada, a guesthouse in Giza with views of the pyramids and I was also able to experience a luxury cruise along the Nile River for 4 nights as part of a collaboration with Le Fayan.
Therefore, this cost will not be included in the total budget but I mention the price below for your reference.
- 8 nights in an all-inclusive resort in Hurghada – average € 76/night
- 2 nights in a guesthouse – average € 44/night
- 4 nights on a luxury Nile Cruise – average € 385/night*
READ MORE: 18 x best hotels in Egypt
Transport in Egypt
In Cairo, I mainly used Uber as this was the easiest and cheapest way to get around the city or airport. However, to travel from Hurghada to Luxor and back, I bought tickets with GO-bus as it was way cheaper than private transport or renting a car.
In Luxor, I joined the Le Fayan Nile Cruise for 5 days and this transport was basically free as it was part of a collaboration. Once arrived in Aswan, I explored the temples around there and went back to Luxor by train. First-class was sold out so I had to buy second-class tickets.
In total, I spent € 105 on transport in Egypt, which is an average of € 7,5 per day for 2 people.
This was definitely the cheapest but not the fastest way to travel around the country, so if you have a limited time, you might consider booking a private driver or a flight from Aswan to Cairo.
- Bus from Hurghada to Luxor – EGP 520 / € 20,4
- Bus from Luxor to Hurghada – EGP 520 / €20,4
- Train from Aswan to Luxor – EGP 110 / € 4,3 (second class)
- Bus from Hurghada to Cairo – EGP 580 / € 22,7
- Uber and taxi rides – EGP 960 / € 37,5
Food & groceries in Egypt
The total cost of food and groceries that I spent in 2 weeks in Egypt is € 240,1 for 2 people. The reason this amount is low is that I stayed in an all-inclusive resort in Hurghada, so drinks and food were included and on the cruise from Luxor to Aswan, all meals were included but not the drinks.
During my visit to the many temples and ancient sites in Luxor and Aswan, I regularly bought water and snacks in local shops and in Cairo I went out for dinner and lunch in some great restaurants around the city but I can tell you that food in Egypt is relatively cheap.
- Eating out – € 224,4
- Dinner at O’s Pasta in Cairo – € 33,7
- Lunch at Tree Lounge Pyramids – € 12,9
- Drinks during Le Fayan Nile Cruise – € 88,7
- Groceries – € 15,7
READ ALSO: 8 incredible things to do in Aswan Egypt
Excursions and tours in Egypt
During my journey, I was able to join many unique experiences and awesome adventures such as sailing along the Nile River, diving in the Red Sea and wandering around the Great Pyramids of Giza.
I spent quite a lot of money on excursions and tours in Egypt, € 904,4 in total, as I wanted to explore as much as possible and there are so many things to do in Egypt. This is an average of € 32,3 per person per day and in my opinion worth every cent!
- Entrance fee for the Egyptian Museum – EGP 200 / € 7,8 per person + EGP 50 / € 2 for a professional camera
- Entrance for the Great Pyramids of Giza – EGP 240 / € 9,4 per person (area ticket, doesn’t include entry inside the pyramid)
- A sunrise hot air balloon ride over Valley of the Kings – EGP 2000 / € 75 per person
- Visit Abu Simbel with a private driver – EGP 2400 / € 95 per person
- Diving in Hurghada with Dive More Group – EGP 650 / € 25 per person per dive
- A private guide including transport and entrance fees for all temples and ancient sites from Luxor to Aswan – EGP 6200 / € 240 per person
- Luxor Temple entrance fee – EGP 180 / € 7 per person
- Karnak Temple entrance fee – EGP 220 / € 8,6 per person
- Valley of the Kings entrance fee (for 3 tombs) – EGP 260 / € 10 per person
- Queen Hatshepsut temple entrance fee – EGP 160 / € 6,5 per person
- Horus Temple entrance fee – EGP 200 / € 7,8 per person
- Kom Ombo Temple entrance fee – EGP 160 / € 6,5 per person
- Abu Simbel entrance fee – EGP 260 / € 10 per person
- Philae Temple entrance fee (including boat transfer) – EGP 200 / € 7,8 per person
READ ALSO: 8 best things to do in Luxor Egypt
READ ALSO: Hot air ballooning in Luxor: An unforgettable adventure in Egypt
Other expenses
In Egypt, I spend € 128,7 on various stuff such as a VISA on arrival which costs US$ 25 per person, a SIM card with Etisalat was about US$ 11 per person for 40 GB, tips for the guides, and some souvenirs.
I also did laundry in the all-inclusive resort in Hurghada and paid almost US$ 20 for only a few shirts and pants, which was ridiculously expensive.
- Visa – The visa-on-arrival for Egypt cost US$ 25 for Belgian Citizens, however, you can check your visa requirements here
- SIM cards & data package from “ETISALAT” – US$ 11 for 40 GB per person
- Tips – US$ 30 for a private guide for 5 days
- Pharmacy – US$ 7 for sunscreen
- Souvenirs – US$ 10
How much does a trip to Egypt cost?
After traveling 2 weeks in Egypt and exploring some of the most impressive places in the country, my partner and I spend € 2074,2 in total, which is an average of € 74 per person per day.
Although the biggest expense in Egypt was the cost of all the amazing adventures and tours in Egypt that I did, they were more than worth it. You can save money by visiting the temples without a guide but I think the rich explanation of the history of these ancient places has an extra value to your visit.
READ ALSO: Le Fayan: An amazing Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan in 5 days
Costs such as food and transport are quite cheap, but there are so many things to do in Egypt that you can easily spend more money on fantastic experiences and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Although every trip is different, I hope this article can give you a good idea of how much a trip to Egypt cost.
Are you surprised by the expenses of 2 weeks in Egypt? Do you have tips on how to travel cheaper or do you have any questions regarding this journey? Let me know in the comments.
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Use my favorite travel apps to plan your budget for your Egypt itinerary
To plan my adventures, I use these FREE websites and apps as they provide the best information, the best deals, and they are user-friendly.
- Skyscanner – Flight deals
- Booking.com – Hotels and accommodation
- TourRadar – Group trips
- TripAdvisor – Reviews and activities
- HostelWorld – Hostels
- GetYourGuide – Activities and excursions
- RentalCars – Car rental
- Omio – Transport
- iVisa – Travel documents
- Wise – Money transfer
- InsuredNomads – Travel Insurance
PICTURES AND EDITING
All the pictures on this page are made and owned by me. If you are interested in some pictures to use for your magazine, website, blog, or any other purpose, just send me an email and we’ll figure it out.
Do you like the edits? My Presets will be online soon so you can edit your pictures in just one click!
The camera gear I used for this trip
I never go out without my camera and many people ask me which gear I use. So to make it quite easy, I listed all the gear I used for this trip below.
Most of the time, I travel with the Sony A7III and the Sony 24-105mm/f4 as my primary lens but depending on the location, I change to another setup. However, I love the Tamron 17-28 to shoot in the big cities.
